READING COMPREHENSION AND SEMANTIC PROCESSING

This study investigates the impact of vocabulary depth on reading comprehension, the role of semantic relations in facilitating comprehension, and the influence of inferencing abilities on reading ability. Through a qualitative content analysis, this study analyzed the reading passages of the IELTS, TOEFL, and SAT to identify semantic and linguistic features that are determinants of comprehension. Data collection was conducted through an analysis of standardized texts, while at the analytical level, the identification of semantic relations, inferential demands, and text complexity were considered. The main findings are that a shallow vocabulary size impedes students' ability to master specialized and abstract words, while a lack of knowledge of semantic relations impedes the integration of textual materials. Inferential capacity has a central role in linking inferred meaning, but limited conceptual capacity always aggravates challenges related to understanding. These findings corroborate the research questions and show the integration of these semantic components and their central role in reading ability. The results of this research demonstrate that master plans in vocabulary enrichment, semantic mapping, and inferential thinking can result in improved comprehension skills. The implications highlight the contribution of creative pedagogy and well-designed texts toward unbiased development in literacy.